New Milford's Allegretti putting life together

NEW MILFORD--A town resident loves the "pieces of the puzzle" of life that he is discovering--and relishing the time he has to be engaged in putting them together.

Anthony "Tony" Allegretti, 67, was dealt a life-shaking blow two years ago, when drastic measures--a leg amputation and liver transplant--were needed to keep him alive. And while he's willing to recount the details of his ordeal, the most important thing, he stresses, is that "other people were there to help keep me alive, and I love them all."

That "love" has multiplied, embracing causes that endeavor to alleviate hardship, particularly where children are concerned. His 11-year-old granddaughter, Maddie Palmer of New Milford, is "the center of my life," which has led him to "really understand how precious children are."

"If I could do anything to help them, I will," Allegretti said.

And that's just what he is in the process of doing.

Allegretti successfully completed the New York City ING Marathon last month, moving through the 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs on a handcycle. Atop the cycle were the banners of his chosen causes -- Donate Life; Phys-EdNM.com; Livestrong; Yale t.c. T., and, above them all, a golden flourish of ribbons for a young New Milford resident, Karolena Rafferty.

Karolena, who is 7½, has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common form of pediatric cancer, and has been undergoing treatment at Connecticut Children's Hospital. She's home now, "with no evidence of the disease," her mother, Cheryl Rafferty, was happy to report last week.

And "Tony," whom her family only met a short while ago, "has kind of become a surrogate grandfather in our lives, even though he has a family of his own," Rafferty said. "He really understands what it's like to fight to save a life. He probably knows this best of all because he's an organ recipient."

Allegretti, who moved to town three years ago to be near his daughter, Theresa, and granddaughter, was a member of the New York Police Department until his retirement in 1986. He said he did "a number of things, including selling candles" to the gift shop at New Milford Hospital, in the ensuing years.

In 2008, he was in need of a liver transplant due to "non-alcoholic cirrhosis," he recounted, and was being receiving treatment for his failing liver condition.

"I was allowed to go home for Thanksgiving, and sometime, I don't know where, I got a cut on my right leg," he recounted. The cut created a different problem--"necrotizing fasciitis," he said. The rare flesh-eating condition impacts the soft tissues of the body and is potentially fatal, he said.

"The doctor at Yale who took a look at my leg told me, 'We have to amputate it right now. If we don't, you'll die,'" Allegretti recounted. "I told him, 'Go ahead.'"

Although the timeline is unclear, he said that at one point he had swelled up to 310 pounds, "from the edema," impacted by the failing liver, and then, swinging the other way after the amputation, he hit a low of 145 lbs.

His body continued to deteriorate, Allegretti said, and then he was given the news that he would have "only a week to live."

"On March 3, 2009, I was given the news, and I had the operation on the 11th," he said, adding that he will be "forever grateful."

"It was from a young woman who had a coronary," said Mr. Allegretti, adding that he wrote her family a letter afterward to thank them "for a having a daughter who was so compassionate [as] to put on her driver's license that she wanted to be an organ donor. She gave me the gift of life."

Allegretti said he won't ever forget that, which is why he is "dedicated" to promoting the need for organ donors.

The strength of his determination is not only evident in the banner that flew over his handcycle in the marathon but the inscription he had made on the medal he received for finishing in his section--placing 73rd, at 4 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds.

The inscription, he said, reads "Anthony Allegretti and organ donor," for "that's who finished the race."

Allegretti also undertook the race to thank his team of doctors at Yale-New Haven, particularly "Dr. T."

Last summer, as he was endeavoring to build up his strength, he "met Valerie," a physical trainer at the New Milford Sports Club. When he learned that she was raising money for her team in the New Milford Relay for Life, a benefit for the American Cancer Society, "I said, 'Sign me up,'" he recounted. He showed up at the Relay to give "rides" in what he marked as his "Cash cab," and has remained a steadfast commitment to Valerie's cause. The banner that flew for her for that cause, he said, was Phys-EdNM.com, the new sports complex in town. And "Live Strong" is the motto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which raises funds to battle cancer.

Karolena touched his heart, and spurred him to be serious about undertaking the marathon, after he met her and her family.

"I meet everybody at Wal-Mart," he said, explaining that he saw balloons flying at a vehicle in the parking lot and found her family was gathering toys for children who were battling life-threatening diseases, to comfort them during their treatments.

"Karolena had one from Stuff-a-Cruiser, and she said to me, 'Why don't we stuff our van,'" Rafferty recounted. "When we did this, we were on a happiness high for weeks."

When Allegretti went over and met Karolena, he said he took the pink wristband with the word "Survivor" on it off his wrist and gave it to her.

"Her mother told me that it for breast cancer and that the color for pediatric cancer was gold," he recounted. "That's why I flew the gold banner for her.'"

Allegretti said he told Karolena at the time that he would do the New York City Marathon in her honor.

"Once I told her that, I really had to do it. I had to build up my strength. Also, I had to make sure I was extra cautious--I didn't want to fall, which is the worst thing that could happen to an amputee," he said.

And so his training escalated.

At no time, he said, did he think he wouldn't do it.

"That wasn't on the cards," he said.Before last months marathon, he had to go into the city a few days early in order to register, because it couldn't be done other than in person.

"I met a lot of people who are disabled who are dealing with a lot more than I have to," he said. "Blind, double-amputees; whatever they are dealing with, they were still determined to do the race."

They do it for themselves, primarily, "to show themselves--and everybody else--that they can," he said. "It doesn't matter how long it takes. Some even went 15 hours. They just were determined to do it, and everybody, just everybody, on the route cheered me, them--all of us!--on."

On the day of the race, he drove his SUV to near the start of the race, in Staten Island, then took a cab downtown to sign in and get a bus back to the starting point to join his team, the Achilles Disabled Athletes Track Club, founded by his "mentor," Dick Traun.

"I needed to be able to get my vehicle after I finished. I knew I would be bushed and would have a hard time getting to it anyplace else," he said.

His daughter and granddaughter were at the finish line to welcome him, he said.

"I slept all the way back home," he said, with his daughter behind the wheel.

Since then, he is continuing to promote the causes he adopted and is open to new ways to help people.

"Just a little while ago, I met a lady who was collecting money for wreaths for the veterans' graves in town. I was in Wal-Mart, of course," he said with a chuckle.

Mr. Allegretti said he doesn't pass anyone like that by now, because "she was someone who was doing something to help people."

In his life, Mr. Allegretti said, "Everything is beautiful now."

He added that "Before, I could count on one hand the number of real friends I had and still have a few fingers left, but now I want to see how more pieces of the puzzle fall in my life. It's been an interesting ride."

And what he would really like is if they, like he does, might look for ways to make life easier for people who need help.

"I live on the Internet," he said, pointing out that it's where one can find out more about organ donations, fighting cancer and a host of other "good causes."

Anthony Allegretti with the bike he rode in the New York City ING Marathon. Photo by Walter Kidd.

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NEW MILFORD--A town resident loves the "pieces of the puzzle" of life that he is discovering--and relishing the time he has to be engaged in putting them together.

Anthony "Tony" Allegretti, 67, was dealt a life-shaking blow two years ago, when drastic measures--a leg amputation and liver transplant--were needed to keep him alive. And while he's willing to recount the details of his ordeal, the most important thing, he stresses, is that "other people were there to help keep me alive, and I love them all."

That "love" has multiplied, embracing causes that endeavor to alleviate hardship, particularly where children are concerned. His 11-year-old granddaughter, Maddie Palmer of New Milford, is "the center of my life," which has led him to "really understand how precious children are."

"If I could do anything to help them, I will," Mr. Allegretti said.

And that's just what he is in the process of doing.

Mr. Allegretti successfully completed the New York City ING Marathon last month, moving through the 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs on a handcycle. Atop the cycle were the banners of his chosen causes--Donate Life; Phys-EdNM.com; Livestrong; Yale t.c. T., and, above them all, a golden flourish of ribbons for a young New Milford resident, Karolena Rafferty.

Karolena, who is 7½, has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common form of pediatric cancer, and has been undergoing treatment at Connecticut Children's Hospital. She's home now, "with no evidence of the disease," her mother, Cheryl Rafferty, was happy to report last week.

And "Tony," whom her family only met a short while ago, "has kind of become a surrogate grandfather in our lives, even though he has a family of his own," Mrs. Rafferty said. "He really understands what it's like to fight to save a life. He probably knows this best of all because he's an organ recipient."

Mr. Allegretti, who moved to town three years ago to be near his daughter, Theresa, and granddaughter, was a member of the New York Police Department until his retirement in 1986. He said he did "a number of things, including selling candles" to the gift shop at New Milford Hospital, in the ensuing years.

In 2008, he was in need of a liver transplant due to "non-alcoholic cirrhosis," he recounted, and was being receiving treatment for his failing liver condition.

"I was allowed to go home for Thanksgiving, and sometime, I don't know where, I got a cut on my right leg," he recounted. The cut created a different problem--"necrotizing fasciitis," he said. The rare flesh-eating condition impacts the soft tissues of the body and is potentially fatal, he said.

"The doctor at Yale who took a look at my leg told me, 'We have to amputate it right now. If we don't, you'll die,'" Mr. Allegretti recounted. "I told him, 'Go ahead.'"

Although the timeline is unclear, he said that at one point he had swelled up to 310 pounds, "from the edema," impacted by the failing liver, and then, swinging the other way after the amputation, he hit a low of 145 lbs.

His body continued to deteriorate, Mr. Allegretti said, and then he was given the news that he would have "only a week to live."

"On March 3, 2009, I was given the news, and I had the operation on the 11th," he said, adding that he will be "forever grateful."

"It was from a young woman who had a coronary," said Mr. Allegretti, adding that he wrote her family a letter afterward to thank them "for a having a daughter who was so compassionate [as] to put on her driver's license that she wanted to be an organ donor. She gave me the gift of life."

Mr. Allegretti said he won't ever forget that, which is why he is "dedicated" to promoting the need for organ donors.

The strength of his determination is not only evident in the banner that flew over his handcycle in the marathon but the inscription he had made on the medal he received for finishing in his section--placing 73rd, at 4 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds.

The inscription, he said, reads "Anthony Allegretti and organ donor," for "that's who finished the race."

Mr. Allegretti also undertook the race to thank his team of doctors at Yale-New Haven, particularly "Dr. T."

Last summer, as he was endeavoring to build up his strength, he "met Valerie," a physical trainer at the New Milford Sports Club. When he learned that she was raising money for her team in the New Milford Relay for Life, a benefit for the American Cancer Society, "I said, 'Sign me up,'" he recounted. He showed up at the Relay to give "rides" in what he marked as his "Cash cab," and has remained a steadfast commitment to Valerie's cause. The banner that flew for her for that cause, he said, was Phys-EdNM.com, the new sports complex in town. And "Live Strong" is the motto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which raises funds to battle cancer.

Karolena touched his heart, and spurred him to be serious about undertaking the marathon, after he met her and her family.

"I meet everybody at Wal-Mart," he said, explaining that he saw balloons flying at a vehicle in the parking lot and found her family was gathering toys for children who were battling life-threatening diseases, to comfort them during their treatments.

"Karolena had one from Stuff-a-Cruiser, and she said to me, 'Why don't we stuff our van,'" Mrs. Rafferty recounted. "When we did this, we were on a happiness high for weeks."

When Mr. Allegretti went over and met Karolena, he said he took the pink wristband with the word "Survivor" on it off his wrist and gave it to her. "Her mother told me that it for breast cancer and that the color for pediatric cancer was gold," he recounted. "That's why I flew the gold banner for her.'"

Mr. Allegretti said he told Karolena at the time that he would do the New York City Marathon in her honor.

"Once I told her that, I really had to do it. I had to build up my strength. Also, I had to make sure I was extra cautious--I didn't want to fall, which is the worst thing that could happen to an amputee," he said.

And so his training escalated.

At no time, he said, did he think he wouldn't do it.

"That wasn't on the cards," he said.

Before last months marathon, he had to go into the city a few days early in order to register, because it couldn't be done other than in person.

"I met a lot of people who are disabled who are dealing with a lot more than I have to," he said. "Blind, double-amputees; whatever they are dealing with, they were still determined to do the race."

They do it for themselves, primarily, "to show themselves--and everybody else--that they can," he said. "It doesn't matter how long it takes. Some even went 15 hours. They just were determined to do it, and everybody, just everybody, on the route cheered me, them--all of us!--on."

On the day of the race, he drove his SUV to near the start of the race, in Staten Island, then took a cab downtown to sign in and get a bus back to the starting point to join his team, the Achilles Disabled Athletes Track Club, founded by his "mentor," Dick Traun.

"I needed to be able to get my vehicle after I finished. I knew I would be bushed and would have a hard time getting to it anyplace else," he said.

His daughter and granddaughter were at the finish line to welcome him, he said.

"I slept all the way back home," he said, with his daughter behind the wheel.

Since then, he is continuing to promote the causes he adopted and is open to new ways to help people.

"Just a little while ago, I met a lady who was collecting money for wreaths for the veterans' graves in town. I was in Wal-Mart, of course," he said with a chuckle.

Mr. Allegretti said he doesn't pass anyone like that by now, because "she was someone who was doing something to help people."

In his life, Mr. Allegretti said, "Everything is beautiful now."

He added that "Before, I could count on one hand the number of real friends I had and still have a few fingers left, but now I want to see how more pieces of the puzzle fall in my life. It's been an interesting ride."

And what he would really like is if they, like he does, might look for ways to make life easier for people who need help.

"I live on the Internet," he said, pointing out that it's where one can find out more about organ donations, fighting cancer and a host of other "good causes."